PCC names preferred candidate for next Cambridgeshire chief constable

Mr Megicks, who was born in Cambridgeshire, spent the majority of his policing career with the force before moving on to become deputy chief constable at Norfolk Constabulary.

He will take over from Nick Dean who will be stepping down on September 28 after seven years as chief constable.

Mr Preston said: “I am delighted to put forward Simon to the Police and Crime Panel as my preferred candidate for chief constable. Simon performed very well throughout the whole assessment process demonstrating his vision, determination and resilience – all skills necessary to lead the constabulary and follow in Nick Dean’s footsteps.

“During his time as deputy chief constable at Norfolk Constabulary, Simon has shown exemplary leadership – someone who listens and responds to the public with a strong presence both as an individual and a policing leader, working with the public, communities and partners.

“Having lived in Cambridgeshire most of his life and currently residing in the county, Simon is very well placed to understand local needs and is committed to keeping our communities safe.”

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough PCC said Mr Megicks underwent a “robust and transparent interview process” and was assessed by a number of panels over two days consisting of senior stakeholders from the community and police officers and staff from representative bodies.

Feedback from the panels was fed into the final interview which included a chief constable and a chief executive. The process was overseen by an independent member and a representative from the College of Policing.

Mr Preston said a start date will be agreed with Mr Megicks should the Police and Crime Panel recommend that he is appointed.

Mr Megicks began his career with Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 1996.

He served in several roles in Cambridgeshire. In 2005, upon promotion to superintendent, he led staff through dramatic performance changes, implemented the force’s response to neighbourhood policing, and established himself as a senior operational commander.

In 2010, he became head of Public Protection, developing a sustainable model for the department as part of the force’s redesign project. He also qualified as a senior investigating officer, leading a number of serious crime enquires.

In 2013, Mr Megicks was promoted to chief superintendent, becoming the head of Corporate Development, and led the constabulary’s ICT enabled change programme.

He undertook the role of temporary assistant chief constable for Hertfordshire Constabulary in September 2015, overseeing the Collaborated Change Portfolio for all operational support functions, including contact management across collaboration for Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridge.

In June 2017, Mr Megicks was promoted to the rank of assistant chief constable and transferred to Norfolk and Suffolk to undertake the collaborative lead for Protective Services. This involved overseeing the delivery of cyber and serious crime, intelligence, major investigations, forensics, specialist operations along with criminal justice.

In June 2021, he was promoted to deputy chief constable at Norfolk Constabulary, with responsibility for Royalty Protection, Athena, Professional Standards, Legal Services, Corporate Communications and Strategic Business and Operational Services.

Mr Megicks has a degree in physics, is a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, has a Masters in police leadership, and is a graduate of the University of Cambridge’s Master of Studies programme in Applied Criminology and Police Management. he is married with two children.